Volunteers needed for lake monitoring

The Northwest Montana Lakes Volunteer Monitoring Network (NWMTLVMN) is looking for lake property owners and/or homeowners, summer cabin owners, recreationists, and just people who are interested in lakes to become volunteer monitors.

There are currently 41 lakes in the program, and many are in need of a volunteer including: Big Therriault Lake, Lincoln County; Dollar Lake, Flathead County; Fish Lake, Flathead County; Foys Lake, Flathead County; Holland Lake, Missoula County; Skyles Lake, Flathead County; Smith Lake, Flathead County; Spencer Lake, Flathead County; Stillwater Lakes, Upper and Lower, Flathead County; Upper Whitefish Lake, Flathead County.

Volunteers will receive training and equipment to assist them in data collection. However, volunteers will need their own boat (motorized or nonmotorized). Training will be offered this spring and monitoring will begin in late spring/early summer. Volunteers will be asked to monitor their lake(s) twice per month, weather permitting, and will spend one summer day with the Whitefish Lake Institute staff collecting water chemistry data. To learn more, visit www.nwmtlvmn.org.

The NWMTLVMN spring training date is Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at City Beach on Whitefish Lake.

For more information, contact the Whitefish Lake Institute at 862-4327, or send an email to cynthia@whitefishlake.org.